The invention relates to an apparatus for automatically controlling the positioning of a device, such as an endoscope, and more particularly, to such apparatus in which the degree and orientation of bending of a bendable portion of the device is autonomously controlled so that its distal end is always centrally located within a cavity in which the device is being inserted.
As is well known in the prior art, flexible endoscopes adapted for insertion into a body cavity for medical purposes include a bendable portion located adjacent to the distal end of the endoscope. The bending of the bendable portion is manually controlled from the proximal end of the endoscope. By bending the bendable portion, the distal end can be oriented in any desired direction.
When such a flexible endoscope is inserted into a body cavity, an eyepiece assembly disposed in the proximal end, which is located outside the body cavity, can be utilized to observe the interior of the cavity so that the distal end is centrally located therein as it is being inserted. However, the process of inserting the distal end so that it is centrally located within the cavity involves a composite procedure including the steps of twisting the entire portion of the endoscope which is inserted into the cavity, bending the bendable portion of the endoscope, and advancing or retracting the endoscope portion located within the cavity, all of which steps are selectively utilized in a suitable combination in accordance with the bends or the increased or reduced spaces of the cavity. Hence, the procedure is very difficult to perform, requiring a high level of skill. In particular, when inserting the endoscope into a cavity, such as the tortuous cavity of the large intestine, even a skilled operator requires an increased length of time to insert the endoscope, and may cause unintended pain to a patient. In addition, the location where the endoscope can be admitted may be disadvantageously limited.